the son of Cain, Gen. iv, 17, in honour of whom the first city
noticed in Scripture was called Enoch, by his father Cain, who was the
builder. It was situated on the east of the province of Eden.
2. ENOCH, the son of Jared, and father of Methuselah. He was born A. M.
622, and being contemporary with Adam, he had every opportunity of
learning from him the story of the creation, the circumstance of the
fall, the terms of the promise, and other important truths. An ancient
author affirms, that he was the father of astronomy; and Eusebius hence
infers, that he is the same with the Atlas of the Grecian mythology.
Enoch’s fame rests upon a better basis than his skill in science. The
encomium of Enoch is, that he “walked with God.” While mankind were
living in open rebellion against Heaven, and provoking the divine
vengeance daily by their ungodly deeds, he obtained the exalted
testimony, “that he pleased God.” This he did, not only by the exemplary
tenor of his life, and by the attention which he paid to the outward
duties of religion, but by the soundness of his faith, and the purity of
his heart and life: see Heb. xi, 5, 6. The intent of the Apostle, in the
discourse containing this passage, is, to show that there has been but
one way of obtaining the divine favour ever since the fall, and that is,
by faith, or a firm persuasion and confidence in the atonement to be
made for human transgressions by the obedience, sufferings, death, and
resurrection of the promised Messiah. The cloud of witnesses which the
Apostle has produced of Old Testament worthies, all bore, in their
respective generations, their testimony to this great doctrine, in
opposition to the atheism or theism, and gross idolatry, which prevailed
around them. All the patriarchs are celebrated for their faith in this
great truth, and for preserving this principle of religion in the midst
of a corrupt generation. Enoch, therefore, is said, by another
evangelical writer, to have spoken of the coming of Christ to judgment
unto the antediluvian sinners. See Jude 14, 15. This prophecy is a
clear, and it is also an awful, description of the day of judgment, when
the Messiah shall sit upon his throne of justice, to determine the final
condition of mankind, according to their works; and it indicates that
the different offices of Messiah both to save and to judge, or as
Prophet, Priest, and King, were known to the holy patriarchs. On what
the Apostle founded this prediction has been matter of much speculation
and inquiry. Some, indeed, have produced a treatise, called “The Book of
Enoch,” which, as they pretend, contains the cited passage; but its
authority is not proved, and internal evidence sufficiently marks its
spurious origin. It is, therefore, reasonable to suppose that the
prophecy cited by St. Jude was either traditionally handed down, or had
been specially communicated to that Apostle. In the departure of Enoch
from this world of sin and sorrow, the Almighty altered the ordinary
course of things, and gave him a dismissal as glorious to himself, as it
was instructive to mankind. To convince them how acceptable holiness is
to him, and to show that he had prepared for those that love him a
heavenly inheritance, he caused Enoch to be taken from the earth without
passing through death. See ELIJAH.
noticed in Scripture was called Enoch, by his father Cain, who was the
builder. It was situated on the east of the province of Eden.
2. ENOCH, the son of Jared, and father of Methuselah. He was born A. M.
622, and being contemporary with Adam, he had every opportunity of
learning from him the story of the creation, the circumstance of the
fall, the terms of the promise, and other important truths. An ancient
author affirms, that he was the father of astronomy; and Eusebius hence
infers, that he is the same with the Atlas of the Grecian mythology.
Enoch’s fame rests upon a better basis than his skill in science. The
encomium of Enoch is, that he “walked with God.” While mankind were
living in open rebellion against Heaven, and provoking the divine
vengeance daily by their ungodly deeds, he obtained the exalted
testimony, “that he pleased God.” This he did, not only by the exemplary
tenor of his life, and by the attention which he paid to the outward
duties of religion, but by the soundness of his faith, and the purity of
his heart and life: see Heb. xi, 5, 6. The intent of the Apostle, in the
discourse containing this passage, is, to show that there has been but
one way of obtaining the divine favour ever since the fall, and that is,
by faith, or a firm persuasion and confidence in the atonement to be
made for human transgressions by the obedience, sufferings, death, and
resurrection of the promised Messiah. The cloud of witnesses which the
Apostle has produced of Old Testament worthies, all bore, in their
respective generations, their testimony to this great doctrine, in
opposition to the atheism or theism, and gross idolatry, which prevailed
around them. All the patriarchs are celebrated for their faith in this
great truth, and for preserving this principle of religion in the midst
of a corrupt generation. Enoch, therefore, is said, by another
evangelical writer, to have spoken of the coming of Christ to judgment
unto the antediluvian sinners. See Jude 14, 15. This prophecy is a
clear, and it is also an awful, description of the day of judgment, when
the Messiah shall sit upon his throne of justice, to determine the final
condition of mankind, according to their works; and it indicates that
the different offices of Messiah both to save and to judge, or as
Prophet, Priest, and King, were known to the holy patriarchs. On what
the Apostle founded this prediction has been matter of much speculation
and inquiry. Some, indeed, have produced a treatise, called “The Book of
Enoch,” which, as they pretend, contains the cited passage; but its
authority is not proved, and internal evidence sufficiently marks its
spurious origin. It is, therefore, reasonable to suppose that the
prophecy cited by St. Jude was either traditionally handed down, or had
been specially communicated to that Apostle. In the departure of Enoch
from this world of sin and sorrow, the Almighty altered the ordinary
course of things, and gave him a dismissal as glorious to himself, as it
was instructive to mankind. To convince them how acceptable holiness is
to him, and to show that he had prepared for those that love him a
heavenly inheritance, he caused Enoch to be taken from the earth without
passing through death. See ELIJAH.